Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Terrific Tuesday

This morning, after the announcements, we began our literacy block.

While I met with small groups, the students worked on the following independent assignments. First, all reading groups re-watched the story, Emma's Poem, and then, in their RRJ, identified 3-4 events from the story and their cause. After that, they practiced their word work words. The pink group completed "Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check". The green and blue groups completed a meaning check for 10 of their words. Finally, the students continued publishing and illustrating their realistic fiction picture books.

Pink: In group we re-listened to Emma's Poem so that I could model identifying events and describing what caused each. We spent a lot of time listening to and discussing parts of the story to determine what the author was saying and deciding if an event and/or cause was mentioned.

Green: In group we discussed the structure of this story and then reviewed the main idea. Then we began sharing, and discussing, the events and causes they had written on the t-chart in their RRJ. Finally, we reviewed the facts we had learned by read the book, Emma's Poem.

Blue: In group we discussed the structure of this story and then reviewed the main idea. Then we began sharing, and discussing, the events and causes they had written on the t-chart in their RRJ. Finally, we reviewed the facts we had learned by read the book, Emma's Poem.

After our literacy block the students enjoyed indoor recess and lunch.

Once the students returned to class we began our math block. First we completed a Train Your Brain with the students listing as many equations as possible with a product of 64. Then we began our rotations.

During the small group, teacher-led, instruction we practiced using various methods (but NOT dots or tallies) to solve the basic multiplication facts. At the end of the week, students will be tested on their multiplication fact fluency.

During math with a partner, the students increased their basic facts fluency by playing 4 in a Row, a board game.

Finally, during the technology rotation, the students worked on their basic fact fluency using Xtra Math.

HOMEWORK is on Google Classroom.

After math we took a much needed Go Noodle brain break and then began a social studies lesson about responsible financial decision making.

First, we defined the term financial and identified examples and non-examples. Then we discussed how we make financial decisions. After that, we saw an example of an adult making a responsible financial decision using a decision tree. Finally, the students worked collaboratively to complete a decision tree using a given scenario.